Strawberry Moon

Last weekend, I traveled out to Scottsdale for a Temple Night hosted by some friends I've met in my travels and personal work. I was invited to help with music throughout the ceremony and DJ after the ceremony portion of the evening closed, which was fun and also a bit distracting because a big part of me also wanted to be connecting and interacting with the lovely people there. In an act of self-care, I put on another mix instead of enduring my own set (search "David Infinite Hearts" by Xuxa Bluet). As I would go on to say later in the evening, "life is not worth tolerating." While David's birthday mix was being very well-received, I shifted my focus and enjoyed the evening, which ultimately culminated in some beautiful smooches over strawberries. And speaking of strawberries... Meanwhile, back in Mariposa, my friend is organizing a full moon party for the Strawberry Moon. I headed over to his spot after a hard day's work, partially feeling tired but also wanting to enjoy the celestial moment. I arrived with my XDJ-RX3, plugged in, and played for about 1.5hr and recorded this set. I think these low-pressure environments are super important to practice playing with my favorite tracks. I played a lot with "push and pull" in this set—accentuating highs and lows more so than usual. And yet, the mix is surprisingly light-handed, creating more space than it takes up. As our Temple facilitator said on Friday, "make what you have to say worth the silence it breaks." Also, side note, I love the XDJ-RX3. With a slim flight case, it's remarkably portable. Being able to record directly to a 2nd USB with a dedicated record button is great. I love the pads at the bottom of the decks and the compact layout in general. It's truly feels like a standalone DDJ-FLX4. People keep asking if they can buy it off me and I can't imagine getting rid of it. Between the FLX4, the RX3, and the Opus Quad, I feel like I have the optimal lineup.